Canada's main stock market in Toronto slumped as lower commodity prices in crude oil and gold weighed on energy and mining sectors.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite Index fell 103.46 points, or 0.78 percent, to 13,142.29 points, down for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
Seven of the TSX index' s eight main sectors went down.
Oil prices plunged as US crude stockpiles increased unexpectedly. The WTI for February delivery was down $1.27 to $36.6, dragging TSX's energy group to a fall of 2.48 percent.
One of the leading decliners on the market was Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, which fell 2.63 percent to 30.32 Canadian dollars (about $22) a share.
Enbridge Inc fell 2 percent to 27.50 Canadian dollars a share as the company said on Tuesday it has halted operations on its Ozark pipeline due to flooding along the Mississippi river.
